I had a computer nightmare!
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive March 2004:
I had a computer nightmare!
Just a dream nightmare, but oh my, was it real.
Background. I have a new Dell with Windows XP, and have some frustrations with XP. I have been unofficially deemed our in house IT person at work and find frustrations in things I don't know how to do - and our contract IT person is NOT easy to reach. And I fell asleep reading a book in which one of the characters is a computer called Lennie, similar to Hal in that awful film, 2001, and psychotic.
In my dream we had new computers at my job - and my job was at the non-profit I worked at many years ago, with the director with whom I had "power struggles". My task was to find an old file on a floppy, and I couldn't find the floppy drive (couldn't find it physically and couldn't figure out how to find it or access it). Each time I looked at the screen there was a new button, a new "bell and whistle", a new gimmick. The worst thing was when I pushed the "Help" button (clearly labeled help), something called "Teddy Bear Help" happened and four psychotic teddy bears came dancing onto the screen and started tearing the images apart. I was crying hysterically in my nightmare and when I woke up for a moment I thought I had wakened screaming. Half an hour later, and I admit I turned on my computer with great trepidation.
Wow - I haven't had a nightmare so powerful in years and years.
I remember thinking yesterday I wanted to write to Microsoft about my two major complaints with XP, and ask them why they couldn't design a simpler software with fewer bells and whistles for those of us who wanted a "stripped down" computer life.
(((Ginny)))
I think you need a vacation in the tropics somewhere;)
I used to work at an accounting firm where we would put in easily 60+ (and I mean+++) hours a week. One of the employees came in one morning and said she had this night terror about huge numbers chasing her and in their hands was tax returns, lol! She said she woke up shaking and sweating. I won't get into the night terrors I had, I just want to forget them.
I have Gateway with XP. Not a fan, but it gets the job done. I was wondering if you can download Microsoft words (I have works, not a fan) for free anywhere and is it simple?
What are your complaints?
LOL, Ginny. "Teddy Bears." That sound harmless enough, but not the way you saw them! Wonder how that translates in the dream world....ficious teddy bears, oh my!
Glad you finally woke. Better luck w/ you real life computer 
I have an HP comp with XP. And I too am not a big fan. I've been so used to using word at work and school that I truely hate the programs they given us which is just a spreadsheet and word processor.
Ginnie, what are your 2 major complaints with XP? Just curious! My only complaint was in the beginning when I was trying to find stuff that would have been in the windows directory and all of a sudden it's in something called Documents and Settings. I'm used to that now, though.
I've gotten used to the directory, though I don't like it. What frustrates me is XP is so slow to close programs down. And when one gets "stuck" and I do Control/Alt/Delete and get the Manager and click to end the highlighted program, it also takes what feels like forever. Even on my kludgy homebuilt computer with W98 it never took that long to close or end programs.
I use WordPerfect for wordprocessing because that's what I've used for years and I prefer it (and use it at work). I did get MSWorks with the computer but haven't loaded or explored it yet and don't know that I will. I have a strong dislike for Microsoft and really hate being pretty much tied to it. And I especially dislike the condescending, superior attitude that produced that damnable paperclip. Yes, I know I can get rid of it. It's just the idea.
I hate the paper clip, too. "Do you need help writing that letter?" As if I have never written a letter in my life! LOL!
My Dreamweaver takes a LONG time to open and a LONG time to close. I never thought about it being XP's problem. I more thought I needed more horsepower on my computer. I have a 1.3 ghz processor that was fast 2 years ago! LOL! Gary has upgraded his computer to a 2400 chip and Sarah's computer to 2600 chip. Mine plods away at 1300! LOL!
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